The 2022 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Qatar, begins on November 21, with 32 teams aspiring to reach the final and become world champions on December 18.
The tournament will be the first to be held in the Arab world and only the second to take place in Asia, after Japan and South Korea jointly hosted it in 2002. This edition will be the last in which only 32 teams participate, since the tournament will be expanded from 2026 to have 48 nations.
France, the reigning champions, will be one of the favourites, although no team has successfully defended the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, along with other European teams such as England, Spain and Belgium. Brazil and Argentina will also likely be in the knockout stage, while Senegal could represent Africa’s greatest hopes of winning for the first time.
England will face Wales or Scotland if any of their British neighbours make it through the tie, in Group B with the United States and Iran. Spain and Germany were in a very complicated Group E, with Japan and Costa Rica or New Zealand, while Portugal will face Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea in a very balanced Group H.
Hosts Qatar will start the tournament against Ecuador, before facing Senegal and the Netherlands.
Due to the excessive summer temperatures in the Gulf State, the Qatar World Cup will be the first to be held in winter and not in summer.
Start dates
Group stage: from 21 November to 2 December
Knockout stage: 3-6 December
Quarterfinals: December 9-10
Semifinals: December 13 and 14
End: December 18
Start times
The schedule for Qatar 2022 was decided on July 15, 2020, the second anniversary of France’s triumph at the 2018 tournament.
The first two rounds of matches will start at 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm in Qatar (10:00 am, 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm according to BRITISH UK daylight saving time).
The times for the matches as decided by FIFA on that day are as follows:
- Group stages: 13:00 (1 PM), 16:00 (4 PM), 19:00 (7 PM), and 22:00 (10 PM).
- Simultaneous last round of group stage games: 18:00 (6 PM) and 22:00 (10 PM).
- Knockout games: 18:00 (6 PM) and 22:00 (10 PM).
- Third place and final: 18:00 (6 PM).
All times mentioned are local Arabia Standard Time (AST).
Full match schedule
The stadiums will host the following matches:
- Al Bayt Stadium – Group A, Group B, Group E, Group F, Round of 16, quarter final, semi final
- Khalifa International Stadium – Group A, Group B, Group E, Group F, Round of 16, third-place playoff.
- Al Thumama Stadium – Group A, Group B, Group E, Group F, Round of 16, quarter final
- Ahmad bin Ali Stadium – Group B, Group E, Group G, Round of 16
- Lusail Iconic Stadium – Group C, Group G, Group H, Round of 16, quarter final, semi final, final
- Stadium 974 – Group C, Group D, Group G, Group H, Round of 16
- Education City Stadium – Group C, Group D, Group H, Round of 16, quarter final
- Al Janoub Stadium – Group D, Group G, Group H, Round of 16
Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
21 November 2022, 13:00, Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor
Qatar vs. Ecuador
21 November 2022
Senegal vs. Senegal
25 November 2022
Qatar vs. Senegal
25 November 2022
Netherlands vs. Ecuador
29 November 2022
Netherlands vs Qatar
29 November 2022
Ecuador vs Senegal
Group B: England, Iran ,United States, Wales
21 November 2022
England vs Iran
21 November 2022
United States vs. Wales
25 November 2022
Wales vs. Iran
25 November 2022
England vs. USA
29 November 2022
Wales vs. England
29 November 2022
Iran vs. United States
Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
22 November 2022
Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia
22 November 2022
Mexico vs. Poland
26 November 2022
Argentina vs. Argentina Mexico
26 November 2022
Poland vs. Saudi Arabia
30 November 2022
Poland vs. Poland Argentina
30 November 2022
Saudi Arabia vs. Saudi Arabia Mexico
Group E: Spain, Costa Rica/New Zealand, Germany, Japan
23 November 2022
Germany vs. Japan
23 November 2022
Spain vs. Costa Rica
27 November 2022
Spain vs. Germany
27 November 2022
Japan vs. Costa Rica
1 December 2022
Japan vs. Spain
1 December 2022
Costa Rica vs. Germany
Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
23 November 2022
Belgium vs. Belgium Canada
23 November 2022
Morocco vs. Morocco Croatia
27 November 2022
Belgium vs. Belgium Morocco
27 November 2022
Croatia vs. Croatia Canada
1 December 2022
Croatia vs. Croatia Belgium
1 December 2022
Canada vs. Canada Morocco
Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
24 November 2022
Brazil in Serbia
24 November 2022
Switzerland vs. Switzerland Cameroon
28 November 2022
Brazil vs. Switzerland
28 November 2022
Cameroon vs. Cameroon Serbia
2 December 2022
Cameroon vs. Cameroon Brazil
2 December 2022
Serbia vs. Serbia Switzerland
Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
24 November 2022
Portugal vs. Portugal Ghana
24 November 2022
Uruguay in South Korea
28 November 2022
Portugal vs. Uruguay
28 November 2022
South Korea vs. Ghana
2 December 2022
South Korea vs. Portugal
Round of 16
As soon as the group stage is over, we will enter directly into the round of 16 of the competition, which will begin on December 3 and end on December 6, and these are the confirmed dates on which these matches will be played:
Round Of 16 Matches Schedule And Date
3 December 2022
1st Group A vs 2nd Group B
3 December 2022
1st Group C vs 2nd Group D
4 December 2022
1st Group B vs 2nd Group A
4 December 2022
1st Group D vs 2nd Group C
5 December 2022
1st Group E vs 2nd Group F
5 December 2022
1st Group G vs 2nd Group H
6 December 2022
1st Group F vs 2nd Group E
6 December 2022
1st Group F vs 2nd Group E
Quarterfinals
Once the round of 16 has been completed, the quarterfinals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup will be played on December 9 and 10, with two matches, played each day. The winners of the matches played on December 3 in the round of 16 will meet on December 9 in the quarterfinals, as will the winners of the matches played on December 5. Finally, on December 10, the winners of the matches played on December 4 and 6 will face each other.
Quarter Matches Schedule And Date
9 December 2022
Winner of key 1 vs Winner of key 2
9 December 2022
Winner key 3 vs Winner key 4
10 December 2022
Winner of key 5 vs Winner of key 6
10 December 2022
Winner of key 7 vs Winner of key 8
Semifinals
Now into the most important matches of the tournament, between December 13 and 14, the candidates to play in the semifinal matches for the grand final will be defined. Likewise, the candidates for the match for third place will be determined.
Semifinal Matches Schedule And Date
13 December 2022
To be determined vs To be determined
14 December 2022
To be determined vs To be determined
World Cup 3rd Place
17 December 2022
Semifinal losers
The World Cup 2022 Final Match
18 December 2022
Semifinal winners